Medical technology industries, including device manufacturers as well as pharmaceuticals and biologics manufacturers, have experienced significant commercial and technological growth over the past several decades. For example, since the discovery of DNA, our understanding of its bio-informational role in the development, operation, and interaction of pathogens and all living beings has significantly increased thanks to the development of DNA sequencing techniques over the years. Through improvement in DNA sequencing detection techniques, scientists and doctors have gained greater insight on diseases as well as more effective treatments for patients based on their genetic dispositions. Thus, the use and role of DNA sequencing results in health care has increased significantly.
DNA sequences are series of the nucleotide bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, that dictate the formation of proteins in biological systems. By analyzing a DNA sequence, important information can be gleaned for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Additionally, the identification and quantification of other biological entities (bio-entities), such as proteins, small molecules, antibodies, and pathogens has pushed forward the potential of medical knowledge to benefit humankind.
There is currently a wide variety of bio-entity manipulation and processing techniques in use today that include the use of amplification and labeling techniques within various methods that may allow for optical detection. This may be done by using fluorescent dyes and external optical systems with analog-to-digital conversion systems to allow for the intensive computer processing required for handling the large amounts of data produced. However, many technical obstacles still exist, such as controlling the fluid samples containing the bio-entity to be observed. Additionally, while the price of DNA sequencing has fallen considerably since the Human Genome Project was completed, further cost savings are needed before the full power of DNA sequencing can have an impact. Therefore, current bio-entity manipulation and processing technologies have not been completely satisfactory.
The various features disclosed in the drawings briefly described above will become more apparent to one of skill in the art upon reading the detailed description below.